Home WLAN error

Got a problem with my wireless network. It has worked fine for months but now the 'secondary' PC can find the network but when I try to connect it just goes on for ages and then does nothing. I have tried rebooting numerous times to no avail. I don't want the kids coming down to use my PC (so entirely selfish reasons for wanting to get it sorted Laughing ).

Any suggestions as to what I should be checking for?

Edit: When I click on Properties for the network I use I get the following message:

IEEE 802.1x authentication can not operate on peer to peer (ad hoc) networks or on networks for which data encryption is disabled.

There are two ways to connect wireless NICs (network cards) to a wireless network.

1) Infrastructure mode - used to connect to a wireless AP or router - usually little plastic box with an aerial on it as depicted in the previous post ^

2) Ad-Hoc mode - is used when there is no central access point or wireless router - Network cards can communicate directly with each-other.

The error message is saying that your NIC in the 'secondary PC' is configured to use Ad-Hoc when it probably should be configured to use Infrastucture mode. You need to go into the wireless client utility ie the software that drives the wireless NIC on your secondary PC and set it for Infrastructure mode and configure it with whatever encryption you might have enabled ie WEP / WPA-PSK etc or no encryption if that is your set up.

LOL, wireless is all new to me, believe it or not it wasn't mentioned at all in my MCSE, hence it's new and I have much to learn. That is the nature of studying this stuff, by the time the book has been published the technology is old.

Gotta try and keep up with the trend - thanks for your assistance mate

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